Shaking off the (figurative) Rust

It's been quite a while since I've worked on a freight car - any freight car. I mean several years since I touched a freight car model. 

So with the layout infrastructure (benchwork, track, and wiring) completed I decided to take a break from moving forward on scenery and structures (I am working on a large structure kit, some details of which you can see HERE) to shake the rust off my freight car modeling skills and maybe get a  couple more cars out of their boxes and onto the track. 

I started by digging these two resin cars (both of which had been assembled a while back - one of them more than 25 years ago!) into the spray booth for a coat of primer. 

Then I found these three True-Line CN boxcars that I had dullcoated before we moved from the old house and played around with weathering them. 

At this point I've added a basic streaking of Burnt Umber and Black oil paints. 

Just for fun, and to try something a little different, I tried to duplicate the look of failed paint on the roof of one car. 

I used an unscientific combination of Vallejo Silver and Gunmetal Gray. Was just a little vivid at first, but a wash of Vallejo Medium Gray wash helped blend everything.